Asbury United Methodist Church
Vision: To Make Disciples and Share God’s Love
Goal for 20132013-2014: To Grow in Prayer and Fellowship
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.asbury-wellman.com
Moody Colorado, Pastor
Church Office: 319-646-2417 Parsonage: 319-646-2734
Cell Phone: 319-319-458-0745
Sunday School 9:00 a.m.
Worship 10:15 a.m.
January 2015
Worship Schedule for 2015: Asbury’s
celebration of Holy Communion has shifted
to the 4th Sunday of each month. This will
pave the way for us to host Hospitality
Sundays on the 1st week of each month,
beginning this spring. These shortened
services will be designed to accommodate
the needs of Elders in our community and
others who do not attend full-length services. This format will also facilitate longer
fellowship time after the service.
Calling All College Students!
Next month we will be sending
Valentine’s care packages to our
college students. Many have
changed residences in the past
year, so we’d like to ensure that
our records are current. Please
email any student addresses
that you have to the church secretary
([email protected]) or drop them by
the church office.
Youth Retreat Registration Open: A
Winter Retreat is being organized at Pictured Rocks campground in Monticello from
February 27—March 1st. Highlights will include a band, sledding, hiking, and swimming at the Camp Courageous pool complex. Registration is due by January
15, so if you’d like more information,
please get in touch with Carol Hulseberg or
Shauna Dudley-Javoroski.
Scholarships for Methodist Students:
The Iowa United Methodist Foundation has
published a list of academic scholarships
being offered for 2013/2014. The deadline for scholarship applications is
March 15, 2013.
Scholarships are available for students attending specific Iowa UMC-affiliated
schools (eg. Simpson, Cornell, Iowa
Wesleyan, Morningside College, etc) and
Methodist Seminaries. The list of these
scholarships can be found at
http://www.iumf.org/umscholarships.html
Lord’s Banks: Once again
this year we will be collecting spare change in our
Lord’s Banks. We’ll open
the banks at Thanksgiving
to give a special offering to
the Lord. Last year we collected over $1,200—your
pocket change really added
up!
Many other scholarships are available for
students attending other schools. These
general scholarships are listed at
http://www.iumf.org/generalscholarships.h
tml
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Pastor’s Note
The yearend is here and it’s time to reminisce about the good things we enjoyed. But it’s
hard to count blessings when the sky is gloomy. We have seen a sickness and losses in
2014. I never thought I’d see a lot of them directly related to me. As a pastor I have to
preach hope even to myself. Only by God’s grace that we get to focus. We know that when
we look hard we have more good things going than troubles in the past year and we shall
see more good things coming ahead.
We saw the good. We have served a new average of about 60 recipients at Food Pantry.
Christmas shoebox processed a record high 720. The Noisy Coin Offering has become a big
contribution to the local and global mission. I have high hopes that we could do even
greater mission work in the coming year.
I believe that something good is about to come. How do we know that something good is
about to come when we are experiencing horrible things today? We know because Jesus
showed us. He went through a horrible experience: He was betrayed and denied by his
own disciples; He was mocked; He was beaten, wounded and crucified to death. The sky
went very gloomy as if everything was all hopeless. Yet Jesus knew that everything was
leading to something eternally good that is to come. Salvation does not rely on what we
feel now but on faith about the things to come. Easter was coming. God makes everything
new for Jesus. The final triumph of righteousness shall come to everyone who trusts in the
Lord.
Life in the current world is caught in a wheel of good and evil. But we can choose the rotation of the cycle. Let us not be cowered by evil. Paul said, “Do not be overcome with evil,
but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21). We are to encounter bad things but we
have to overcome them. The only way to overcome bad situation is to invoke the Spiritual
perspective, to see everything in Christ’s eyes as leading to something that is eternally
good and then strive hard to do good both under sunny or gloomy skies.
Easter is just around the corner. Death shall be overcome. Sickness shall be no more. By
God all evil shall be overcome by good and we can be a faithful part in it. Rest assure in
God’s promise who said, "Behold, I am making all things new." (Revelation 21:5).
Happy New Year!
Pastor Moody
2015 FIRST SUNDAYS WILL BE OPEN HOUSE SUNDAYS
Our Communion Sundays will be Fourth Sundays of the month. First Sundays are Open
House Sundays. Even if we don’t have guests we will keep doing this the year round.
Let us find ways to be a welcoming church. The first three months will be our learning
time. By March we shall be ready to send out invitation cards and invite the people in town
in the farms to meet the Methodists of Wellman. We have a one hour window of opportunity and we will try to fit in a short worship and fellowship. I encourage members to sit
close to the altar so that the back pews will be for the Non-members. Wearing of nametags
would be nice. As your pastor I have been studying how to deliver an effective short sermon. Please help Pastor Moody by giving feedback about the sermon and service.
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Hospitality Ministry Launched: The
Hospitality committee has formally
organized and has identified its service
responsibilities as follows:
Finances as of 12/31/2014:
Take charge of Funeral Dinners
Monitor supplies for coffee time.
Coordinate with committees needing
assistance for refreshments during
special occasions.
◊ Make recommendations to Church
Council regarding needs in the kitchen.
(Bert Walker is the Hospitality
Representative to the Council).
◊ Promote Kitchen projects for memorial
gift considerations, e.g. Dishwasher.
◊ Assist in hosting during Open House
Sundays.
The following
individuals are in
charge of monitoring
the coffee time
supplies: JanuaryAnita Randol; FebruaryBert Walker; MarchBetty Johnston; AprilLaverta Yoder; MayCarol Roush; June-Vi
Young.
If you identify a supply need, please
contact the appropriate individual.
◊
◊
◊
YTD Gifts
$116,165.00
YTD Budget Needs
$124,800.00
Apportionments Due 12/31/14
Apportionments Paid 12/31/14
Apportionments Paid 12/31/13
$22,239.00
$19,039.00
$19,064.00
HELP WANTED: Jesus came that we
might have life. We follow Jesus the Lord
of the Church and commit to his church
our presence, prayer, service, giving and
witness. Be a part of the church service:
we have vacancies in church committees
such as Staff Parish Relations Committee
and Nominations. You may also join active
ministries such as Missions, Scholarship,
Endowment, Finance and others. Please
speak to Pastor Moody to become a part of
these ministries.
Food Pantry: A big THANK YOU to the
Wellman Fire Department and other
agencies and individuals who donated to
the food pantry in the past month. Thanks
also to everyone who has donated their
points at Freeman Foods. Please continue
to keep the Food Pantry in your prayers!
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES!!!
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Jim Palmer
3
Rob Adams
5
Carol Hulseberg, Olivia Greiner
6
Myra Davisson, Vincent Burroughs
7
Eric Parrott
10
Lori Owens
12
Dale Schroeder
16
Doug Powell
17
Jim Seward, Ada Hulseberg, Keith Hoskins,
Maddie Edgington, John Colorado
20
Keith Semler, Kenny Kempf, Martha Hall
25
Robert Black
28
Lyndsay Adams
30
Teri Mellinger
3
4